Not too long ago I sent a first chapter of a new story off to a friend to critique. When I got it back, I opened it up, all eager to check out her initial reaction. Everything looked solid until I came to the part where I had described the hero as “average” in height, just an inch or two taller than the heroine. The words had been highlighted, with a typed comment in the corner: “NOT very heroic.”
Huh, I thought. When did height become a heroic quality?
My family is not made up of towering people (read: short) so I spent my life surrounded by males I consider to be average. I’m pretty sure I’ve never used height as a sole determining factor in terms of attractiveness or compatibility. I might have been very lonely if I had, because, let’s face it, giant guys are the exception, not the norm. In real life, most men do fall into that sort of average category.
On the other hand, romance is meant to appeal to a fantasy and fantasy doesn’t have to have anything to do with real life. A big strong man who can make the heroine feel small and female regardless of her size or temperament? Yum, yum. In our society, tall = strong, and strong men can hunt and protect and…I don’t know, reach all those things on high shelves of the cave walls. Therefore, strong = attractive = pretty babies = evolutionarily outperforming those jerks next door.
However, does this hunger for a hyper masculine hero mean that there’s no room for a hero who might stand a few inches shorter than those vertically blessed males? Has height become less of a description, and more of a necessary characteristic? As a reader, would you be okay with a romance hero who is specifically described as not tall, or would it ruin the fantasy you’re looking to escape into?
Alisha Rai
www.alisharai.com
alisharai.wordpress.com
My husband’s 6ft 5 (I’m no where near that). I tend to write hulking great heroes cause that’s what I know (ok, that sounded corny and sappy, didn’t it. Sorry), but I can honestly say from personal experience – the taller the partner, the sorer the neck
I have no problems at all with “average” height heroes, just as long as they’re taller than the heroine, I’m happy
I think an “average” hero is a great idea. I can’t even begin to count all the books I’ve read where there are average, plain heroines but the hero is described as a huge hulking Adonis.
Some of my favorite stories are where the hero is just a plain, average guy.
I think it depends on the height of the heroine. If she is on the….shorter side, then to her, average would be heroic wouldn’t it?
Lord, Lexxie…6’5? My mind boggles at that. I think I’m experiencing sympathy pains for your neck. I dated a guy once who was 6’2, and I remember always trying to find a curb to stand on if we smooched somewhere
.
Eugenia, yes, I love the normal guy! I think it’s definitely tougher to write in a hero, who is, er, curvy, like we can heroines (an overweight heroine will probably sell better than an potbellied hero), but why can’t we shave a few inches off of them to make em a bit more realistic?
Natasha, good point. I didn’t think of it like that
.
What if the h/h were the same height? There’s tons of stories where the heroine is considered soooo tall, and she can look the hero straight in the eyes. Say both people are around 5’7 ish…would it burst the bubble if she couldn’t look up to him?
Yeah, these are the things that go on in my brain. Hehe.
I think it depends on the context. For me, I’m only 5’2” so anything is tall, really. I personally have a thing for taller guys, but Cindy Gerard had a character in her Bodyguard Series (Over the Line was the title, I think) and the hero was like 5’11” or something like that. But he could kick some major butt – I thought he was quite smexy, actually.
I think it goes to that suspension of disbelief thing. Is he alpha and sexy enough to be 5’10”? If so, he’s hot. Height is only one factor.
Agreed, Elisa, and I’m glad to see that’s sort of the consensus. I became a bit concerned at the idea that it was a deal breaker. The romance hero just seems to keep getting bigger and bigger: think the Black Dagger Brotherhood, and their XXXL sweatshirts. In the spirit of Ward, I tried to think of a brand name for the sweatshirt, but I can’t
.
Krentz has written quite a few men who were normal sized. Of course, they usually tend to be very controlled and be masters in, like, Tai Chi, which of course makes them nice and sexy, hehe.
Let me just say this for the hero of average height. Many sexual things are easier when the man and woman’s genitals line up.
Toni, ROFL. Thanks for bringing that up…a very, very important pont.
Hmm, at 5’3” my husband is taller at 5’7 or 8” so I like that difference. It’s close, reasonable. The huge man that towers over the heroine like she is a small child is just weird. Furthering that, why do all heroines have to be swizzle sticks with melon-like breasts and supposed “lushly curved” hips? Never have figured out how that one works! Wish there were more realistically described characters of both genders. BTW, I am plus sized and my husband is skinny. Sex works great for us, sad others think fat chicks and average guys can’t have that.
Amanda, good sex, as you well know, has nothing to do with size…it’s how you work it
.
“Furthering that, why do all heroines have to be swizzle sticks with melon-like breasts and supposed “lushly curved” hips? Never have figured out how that one works!”
I can’t tell you how excited I was the first time I read a flat chested or a plus sized heroine. Yay for realism! Weirdly enough, I find it more difficult to write a heroine who is regarded as physically beautiful (and now my readers now why I’m avoiding Rana, hehe), since its tough to get her to the point where she’s perfect and endearing.
Meanwhile, I’m releasing two curvy heroines back to back. Heh.
I’ll be sure to keep tabs. Thanks!